Laser welding system and method

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A laser welding system comprising a housing having an opening through which workpieces may be passed; means for generating and directing a laser beam into a welding station within said housing; light trap means for inhibiting light from passing from said welding station through said opening to the exterior of said housing and conveyor means for conveying workpieces with step by step intermittent motion between workpiece loading and unloading stations located externally of said housing and said welding station through said housing opening and said light trap means whereby workpieces may be loaded and unloaded from the conveyor means at the loading and unloading stations as another workpiece is simultaneously welded at the welding station while the conveyor means is momentarily stationary.
2.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises a turntable and drive means for rotating said turntable about an axis.
3.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said turntable is mounted for rotary movement about an axis located adjacent said housing opening.
4.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said light trap means includes a set of mutually spaced light baffles mounted atop said turntable.
5.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said mutually spaced light trap baffles are mounted generally radially atop said turntable.
6.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said conveyor means further comprises a set of workpiece mounts secured atop said turntable with individual workpiece mounts located between adjacent members of said set of light baffles.
7.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said light trap means further includes a curved wall mounted within said housing adjacent said turntable, and wherein end portions of said light baffles are resilient and contact said curved wall within said housing.
8.
A laser welding system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising control means for synchronizing operations of said laser beam generating and directing means with intermittent movements of workpieces by said conveyor means whereby a laser beam may be directed upon a workpiece at the welding station only while the workpiece is stationary